Parachutes of various configurations are well known for creating wind resistance to slow an object's movement. Also known are parachute-type amusement devices which are particularly popular with elementary-school aged children. In one popular parachute activity, children, holding the parachute horizontally, collectively pull the parachute up and down to cause the parachute to billow with air. While air escapes beneath the parachute or through a centrally located vent, the children may do various things such as run beneath the parachute. Such use provides fun and resistance-based exercise.
Another parachute game involves the use of a specially configured parachute device including a sheet of flexible material defining one or more openings, and one or more pockets, each defining a mouth joined to the sheet around an opening. Such a device is disclosed in U.S. application Ser. No. 09/645,114, filed Aug. 24, 2000, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference. In use, this parachute device may be held horizontally and selectively tilted to maneuver a ball along the sheet, through one of the openings, and into a pocket. This and other parachute games teach leadership, communication, goal sharing, and problem solving.
Most parachute games require children to grip the parachute device around its outer edge. Some parachute devices are not configured with handles and thus may be difficult to grab and hold, particularly by young users with relatively little hand strength.
Other parachute devices are configured with discrete handles, such as nylon straps or webbing. Such handles are typically formed as a part of the parachute or stitched to its outer edge but are prone to tearing away from the parachute, which may damage the parachute device. In either case, the parachute device may be rendered unusable. Additionally, the discrete handles limit the number of children that may grasp the parachute. Additionally, if such handles are large enough to admit passage of a child's head and/or neck, they pose a choking risk.